How to arrange Scenery Library entries in Flight Simulator X? What should be on top and what needs to be lower – especially when ORBX FTX Global + Vector and openLC are installed.

Short version

scenery libraries (e.g. FlyTampa, 29Palms / other than ORBX)

airport sceneries

city and POI sceneries (e.g. landmarks)

area sceneries (e.g. Aerosoft’s Night Environment)

fotosceneries

Addon Scenery

FTXAA_ORBXLIBS

FTXAA_YSCH

FTX_AA_xxx (ORBX Airports – several entries)

FTX_EU_xxx (scenerie europejskie – several entries)

… (FTX NA, FTX AU)

ORBX!OPENLC_EUROPEx (openLC Europe – several entries)

ORBX!OPENLC_NAMERICAx (openLC for Northern America – several entries)

ORBX!OPENLC_BASE (openLC base)

other landclass add-ons (e.g. Scenery Tech – Africa)

FreeMeshX-xxx (FreeMeshX folders or any other mesh you use – several entries)

Edwards_AFB

Berlin

… (all named FSX sceneries)

Asia

Africa

ORBX!VECTOR_OBJ

ORBX!VECTOR_APT

ORBX!VECTOR_CVX

ORBX!VECTOR_EXX

1107 Base

… (all numbered FSX sceneries)

0000 Base

ORBX!VECTOR_AEC

Default Scenery

Default Terrain

(optional / deselected!) FS9 World Scenery

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General rules

The rules are simple – higher sceneries overwrite lower. To be precise – higher sceneries overwrite only when they provide changed data. So the Vector data on top will replace vector data positioned below. In case a higher scenery does not contain data of the same type (or for the same area) – lower sceneries will not be overwritten. I put a strong emphasis on this because people often ask me whether their mesh should be over FTX Global sceneries. It does no matter – FTX Global does not contain any mesh data – so their position in relation to each other is insignificant. But there are some guidelines that you should follow – especially when you are not fully aware what data a scenery contains.

What goes where?

Top – airports

Put your airports on top of your scenery library. If there are libraries attached (like in FlyTampa or 29Palms sceneries) – their position in relation to the main scenery usually does not matter – to be safe you can place them above the airport.

Middle – other sceneries

If you have other sceneries – especially cities around the airports – put them below. The same applies (but usually is not necessary – it’s just a precaution) to points of interest, landmarks, etc.

Lower tier – area sceneries

If you need to place area scenery (like a photoscenery, landlacss or vector for the whole continent) – place it below all the sceneries I mentioned above.

Here you should also place your mesh. In case you are not sure whether your area sceneries contain mesh – place your global mesh below other area sceneries.

Bottom – default sceneries

Keep your default sceneries at the bottom.

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ORBX Global

As you can see – ORBX entries follow the same logic. Top layer of ORBX sceneries contains two entries and AA group:

FTXAA_ORBXLIBS

FTXAA_YSCH

FTX_AA_xxx (ORBX Airports – several entries)

Keep them in this order.

Area sceneries follow:

FTX_EU_xxx

Then it’s time for global Landclass sceneries:

ORBX!OPENLC_EUROPEx (openLC Europe – several entries)

ORBX!OPENLC_NAMERICAx (openLC for Northern America – several entries)

ORBX!OPENLC_BASE (openLC base)

Vector goes below some of the default sceneries:

ORBX!VECTOR_OBJ

ORBX!VECTOR_APT

ORBX!VECTOR_CVX

ORBX!VECTOR_EXX

And there is one additional entry:

ORBX!VECTOR_AEC

located almost at the bottom – below 0000 Base.

How to mix FTX Global with other add-ons?

First – read the manual of both add-ons. In case of FTX Vector – do not use it with other vector sceneries or be very careful with them working together (test them!).

Landclass sceneries should be placed next to openLC sceneries. The order depends on your choice (which scenery should overwrite the other in case of conflict). I do not recommend using two landclass sceneries for the same place in the same time. In my example – the order does not matter as my Scenery Tech – Africa is covering a different part of the world than ORBX openLC Europe and N. America.

Mesh vs Landclass? It does not matter – I could switch the order. The only reason I keep it like this is my imagination of FSX scenery layers – I imagine elevation first, land cover later (then the airports on top). it works for me.

Summary

Article Name

FSX Scenery Library order (ORBX Global)

Description

How to arrange Scenery Library entries in Flight Simulator X? What should be on top and what needs to be lower - especially when ORBX FTX Global + Vector and openLC are installed.